Moore Nostalgia

I know it seems strange, but he’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. His Simon Templar (arguably the definitive Saint) was a constant in my childhood, before he teamed up with Tony Curtis in The Persuaders , then became James Bond.

You hear a lot of debate about who was the best Doctor. For a lot of people, it’s usually the one they first saw, and the same’s true about Bond.

Clearly, I was a Moore fan anyway but, aged 10, I saw my first Bond movie. And what was there not to like? Planes, trains and automobiles; snakes, crocodiles and sharks; voodoo, jazz funerals, hang-gliding; a magnetic watch, a double-decker bus meeting a low bridge, a villain with a hook for a hand. And, no, I haven’t forgotten thatboat chase.

What a way to be introduced to the world’s favourite spy. I was hooked, and there was Roger again.

I’ve seen him interviewed many times. He never takes himself seriously, and it’s hard not to like someone like that. On one occasion the subject of stunt work came up and he told the interviewer he did all his own stunts. After a beat he added: “I tell all my own lies as well.”

People complain he’s not a great actor. Honestly, I really don’t know, but he’s a great entertainer. And, frankly, when I go to the movies or watch TV I want to be entertained more than anything else. It’s what I aspire to when I write.

So why’s this relevant? And why’s his birthday a wake-up call? Because he’s always been around, and while I want him around for a long time to come, the reality is that he won’t be. His films and TV series are still there to watch, and will be long after he’s gone. But they act as a reminder of the ageing process.

To be fair, he’s aged well. He doesn’t look 88 now and, while he didn’t look youthful in View to a Kill, he didn’t look 57. Looking back at Live and Let Die, it’s hard to believe he was 45. But that’s not the point. What makes me stop and think is, when I recall seeing his films for the first time, it seems like only a short time ago. And then I realise I’m the same age he was when he made Moonraker – when I was only 16.

Where have the years gone? Because if it doesn’t seem that long ago since I first watched that breathtaking pre-title sequence then, in the blink of an eye, I could be looking back on this period of my life and seeing that in the same light.

Having an older person in our lives can do that to us at times. Looking ahead, as we get older, that age gap between us seems to narrow. We see their frailties materialise and start contemplating our own mortality and the deterioration we may suffer in what increasingly looks like such a short time ahead.

Those older people are usually parents, uncles and aunts, or old family friends. But, for my generation, brought up when TV was starting to become an increasing part of our lives, there are other familiar faces too. Watching their younger selves whenever we want on DVD or YouTube only helps to reinforce the effects of the passage of time.

I don’t mean to suggest that I morbidly dwell on this topic. It’s just every now and then you get those reminders, like Roger Moore’s birthday. I wish him a belated Many Happy Returns, but I also see it as an opportunity to remind myself that I haven’t got forever. There are things I want to do, and I need to get on with them before it’s too late.

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7 Responses

I have my ever changing bucket list and while it changes I hope it never gets shorter. I heard an ol playwright say in answer to the question ‘what’s most notable about aging?’ ‘It always seems to be breakfast. ‘ maybe that’s our fate: constant muesli.

For some reason, even though I am consciously aware that time is short, I still seem to revel in procrastination, very much like a pig in mud. I have quite a few writing projects which have been stewing for a number of years now and yet I don’t get back to them. At hte rate things are going, it’ll be left to my kids to sort them out and rather than sending them to a publisher or indeed self-publishing, they could well end up in the waste paper basket.
THe other advantage of getting published and becoming a successful author is that all my achives would be cherished and housed by the State Library or similar and even have curators. Again, this would protect them from the WPB. They could even open “Rowena’s Tea Room” and display my antique tea cups. But that’s a very long way off…xx Rowena

Well, Rowena, I completely relate to the several works in progress scenario. In some of my earlier posts, I’ve talked about how long it has taken me to get off my behind and start writing with anything approaching consistency. I’m still not writing as much as I want to (or should), but I am finding that as time passes, I’m less inclined to let things drift.

Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts. Good luck with the State Library thing, anyway!

Well, you dont LOOK 88, Graeme! What’s your secret? 😂
Actually, I am not a Bond fan at all, and Roger was a bit wooden, but so was Sean Connery. Both of them dont play characters, they just play themselves, whatever the movie. And theres not many actors who can get away with that!

My secret, Ali, is that I’m actually 24 and I lie about my age so people think I’m wearing well.
Generally agree about both Connery and Moore, and that’s a gift in a way. Having said that, if you ever see The Man Who Haunted Himself you will see a bit of acting from our Roge.